Key Field Air National Guard Base

"Key Field" redirects here. For the civil airport, see Meridian Regional Airport. For the unique identifier in a database, see Key field.
Key Field Air National Guard Base
Part of Mississippi Air National Guard
Located near: Meridian, Mississippi

Members of the 186th ARW with a KC-135
Coordinates 32°19′57″N 088°45′07″W / 32.33250°N 88.75194°W / 32.33250; -88.75194 (Key Field ANGB)
Site information
Controlled by  United States Air Force
Site history
Built 1928
In use 1940-Present
Garrison information
Garrison
186th Air Refueling Wing
Airfield information
IATA: MEI – ICAO: KMEI – FAA LID: MEI
Summary
Elevation AMSL 297 ft / 91 m
Coordinates 32°18′58″N 088°45′07″W / 32.31611°N 88.75194°W / 32.31611; -88.75194Coordinates: 32°18′58″N 088°45′07″W / 32.31611°N 88.75194°W / 32.31611; -88.75194
Website www.186arw.ang.af.mil
Map
KMEI

Location of Key Field Air National Guard Base

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 10,003 3,049 Asphalt/Concrete
4/22 4,599 1,402 Asphalt

Key Field Air National Guard Base is the home base of the Mississippi Air National Guard 186th Air Refueling Wing.[1]

Overview

Key Field is home to the Mississippi Air National Guard 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW). The 186th ARW operates a fleet of KC-135R Stratotankers, a mid-air refueler that can carry as much as 30,000 gallons of fuel. Key Field is also home to the Army National Guard 185th Army Aviation Support Facility, Company G which operates a fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters.[1]

Air Rescue and Firefighting capabilities at the airfield are provided by the Air National Guard.[1]

History

World War II

Alarmed by the fall of France in 1940, Congress funded an increase in the strength of the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) from 29 to 54 combat groups. The quickest way for the United States Army Air Corps to obtain additional bases was to utilize existing civil airports. The Air Corps signed an agreement to lease Key Field. The 153rd Observation Squadron (Mississippi National Guard) was federalized and activated at the airfield on October 15, 1940. Key Field was placed under the command of Third Air Force, and in 1941, the USAAC became the US Army Air Forces (USAAF).

Once under USAAF control, a large construction program was needed to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper.

The initial mission of Key Field was the training of operational units for overseas combat duty. The first training unit assigned was the 50th Pursuit(later Fighter) Group, equipped with Curtiss P-40s. Arriving on October 3, 1941, the group was assigned to III Fighter Command School with a mission to test equipment and conduct training in air defense operations. The group also trained fighter pilots and furnished cadres to night fighter units being developed at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, being organized in Florida. On March 22, 1943, the group was reassigned to AAFSAT and moved to Orlando AAF.

The 50th FG was supplemented by the 76th Reconnaissance Group, in March 1942, which was equipped with P-39 Airacobras, P-40s and also A-20 Havoc light bombers. The 76th RG performed similar training as the 50th did, and also taught dive-bombing techniques with the A-20s. The 76th RG also assisted the Second Army with training maneuvers.

With the departure of the 76th RG, Key Field became a training center for B-25 Mitchell medium bombardment units. The following medium bomb groups were equipped and trained at the airfield:

Medium bomber training was moved to Columbia AAB, South Carolina in June 1942. Key Field then switched to attack and dive bombing training of the following units:

The 86th Bombardment Group arrived on August 7, 1942 and remained until March 19, 1943. Training was shifted from training operational units to that of replacement personnel training, with the 86th being the host Training Unit. The 86th then itself deployed to Europe in March 1943.

Key Field was reassigned to III Reconnaissance Command in the summer of 1943, with an additional mission to train aerial reconnaissance units.

With the end of the war in September 1945, activities at Key Field diminished. The airfield returned to civil control in 1946, and allocated to the reconstituted Mississippi Air National Guard.

Air National Guard use

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission realigned Key Field Air National Guard Base. The commission recommended distribution of some refueling aircraft to other Air National Guard bases while establishing Key Field as a Regional Operations and Security Center location, with the 186th Air Refueling Wing's Expeditionary Combat Support elements remaining in place.[1] The commission also recommended reassigning some aircrews and maintenance personnel of the 186th Air Refueling Wing to the 172d Airlift Wing to Thompson Field, Mississippi.[1]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 186th Air Refueling Wing website
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